Sound-regulator for talking-machines



W A LOMAS soum) REGULATOR FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4| 1919.

Patented June 21, 1921.

1/7 rernof, fhW/am 146777216 PATENT OFFICE.

'WHJJIAJE ALBERT LOMAS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SOUND-REGULATOR non mums-traumas.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 21, 1921.

' Application filed August 4, 1919. Serial No. 315,195.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LOMAS, a citizen of the United States, resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Sound-Regulators for Talking-Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, WhlCh form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention as applied.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectlon of the same, partly broken away.

- Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the controlling sleeve.

- The invention has relation to a sound regulator designed for use with talking machines of the Victor type, wherein the sound box or reproducer is mounted at the free end of a pivoted arm or goose neck. The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In order to soften the tone or reduce the volume of sound of a talking machine, it is now necessar either to reduce the speed of rotation of t e record, which takes time for adjustment and results in the record being played in a different or lower pitch or scale; or to change to a wooden or soft tone needle, which also takes time to remove andreplace the needle and requires that such needles be purchased, whereas applicant finds that he can accomplish an equally good or better result by the invention now to be described.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, the numeral 2 designates the contracted end of the horn or tone arm of the instrument, provided with the usual transverse cylindrical or cross piece 3; 4 is the goose-neck arm, havin a cylindrical end 5 fitting within the cylin er 3 pivotally or rotatably; 6 is the sound box, and 7 is the needle. The cylindrical parts 4 and 5 have registering openin s 7, 7 establishing communication with t e horn 2, the movement of the goose-neck being so small in the rendition of the selection as not to interfere appreciably with this registration.

Controlling the openings 7, 7 is a cylindrical sleeve or short tube 8, fittin within the cylinder 5, and movable thereln rotatably or pivotally, said tube having a circumferentla opening 9 normally registering with the openings 7, 7 and upon rotary or pivotal movement, closing the alined open- .ings 7,7, to a greater or less extent, de-

pending upon the degree of adjustment of the sleeve 8, the closing being eflected by the marginal walls of the opening 9, overlapping the openings 7, 7. Therefore, inasmuc h as the sleeve 8 has its end opening 10 in communication with the sound box through the goose neck, sound waves originating in the reproducer will be more or less cut-off from communication with the tone arm of the instrument according to the aforesaid adjustment of the sleeve 8. The result is found to be that the tone of the instrument is softened, and that a pleasing and harmonious rendition of the selection is given, that is even free or comparatively free from the scratching noises that are so common, being due to the working of the needle in the groove of the record.

The other end of the sleeve 8 is engaged by a screw-plug 12, having a central stem 13, provided at its outer end with a nut 14 threaded thereon. The end of the cylindrical part 5 of the goose-neck is threaded at 15, without the plug 12, and engaging the thread 15 is a screw-plug'16, havin a central aperture 17, wherein the unt readed smooth portion of the stem 13 intermediate the plug 12 and the outer threaded portion of said stem has a rotary hearing. The cylindrical end 5 of the goose-neck is held in engagement with the cross piece 3 of the tone arm by the shoulder or collar 5 of said end, and the nut or screw-plug 16, said col- 1ar and said plug bearing against the opposlte ends of the cross iece; and the sleeve 8 is held within the cylindrical end 5 aforesaid by the screw plug 16, and in the adjustment pivotally or rotatably of the sleeve 8, the latter moves with the plug 12 and its stem, and the nut 14, as a whole, the outer end of the said stem being upset to secure the nut in place. The nut 14 could be made fast to the stem in some other suitable way, as b a transverse pin (not shown) if desired? In order to gage the adjustment of the sleeve 8 the screw plug 16 is provided witha circumferential enlargement 16, suitably graduated and marked Soft, Medium, and

pected and to guide the hand in making the adjustment.

This pointer is preferably formed as a art ofan annular member 19 interposed between the nut 14 and the plug '16 said annular member being suitably made fast to said nut. Preferably a spring washer 20,

is located within the annular member 19,-

bearing against the plug 16 and against the plug 14, whereby the adjustment of the sleeve 8 is held as made,-that is to say the parts are prevented from rotating or moving too freely in making the adjustment.

The-screw plug enlargement 16' is roughened or milled at 21 circumferentially, and

to inactive position.

by manipulation thereof, the gooseneck and reproducer may be lifted or pivotally moved When the parts are restored to normal position, which is conveniently done also by manipulation of the milled head of the plug 16, the graduations or guide markings of the plug are also restored to normal position ready for use.

The opening 9 is provided with a reduced tapered extension 9', which in the adjustment of the sleeve 8' in one direction will register with the alined openings 7, 7', to provide for a soft tone. The enlargement or dial 16' is provided with stop pins 22, which in the rotary adjustment of said sleeve are engageable respectively with the 'pointer 18, the tapered extension of the opening 9 being in register with the aforesaid allned openings at the limit of the adjustment in one direction, and the said openmg 9 fully registering with said alined openings at the limit of the adjustment in the other direction, to provide for a loud tone. Obviously, a midway position of adjustment will result in a medium tone.

I claim The combination with a talking machine having a tone arm provided with a cylindrical cross-piece, a goose-neck carrying a reproducer and having a cylindrical end pivotally mounted within saidcross-piece, the latter and said cylindrical end being provided with alined openings. establishing communication between the reproducer and the tone arm, of a sleeve rotatably fitting within said cylindrical end and having a clrcumferential opening normally registering with said alined openings, said circumferentlal opening having a reduced tapered extension adapted to register with said alined openings, an. annular screw plug engaglng the said cylindrical end of the gooseneck and having an enlarged head extending radially beyond said cross piece and provlded upon its outer face with stop pins, a screw plug engaging the outer. end of said sleeve and having a stem rotatably mounted in the central aperture of said annular plug, and a nut threaded upon said stem and carrying a pointer, the latter being adapted at the position of full registering adjustment of the opening of said sleeve to engage one of said stop pins, and at the posltion of minimum reglstering adjustment of the tapered extension of said opening to engage the other sto pin.

n testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- ORRIN H. BUTTERFIELD, HAZEN GEORGE LoMAs. 

